The Floppy Diskette

IBM introduced the first commercial floppy drive in 1971. It worked with 8-inch flexible disks coated with a magnetic material and permanently encased in a plastic sheath.Users quickly recognized that, for loading data into computers, floppy disks were faster, cheaper, and more space-efficient than stacks of punch cards. In 1976, the floppy's co-inventor, Alan Shugart, created a new 5.25-inch floppy drive for personal computers. That disk size remained an industrywide standard until the latter half of 1980s, when [[xref:http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/621|Sony's 3.5-inch floppy format|Sony's 3.5-inch floppy format]] (invented in 1981) achieved marketplace dominance.

By 2002, though, people had begun to ask, "[[xref:http://www.pcworld.com/article/103037/what_has_your_floppy_drive_done_for_you_lately.html|What has your floppy drive done for you lately?|What has your floppy drive done for you lately?]]"

Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of IDG Communications is prohibited. Copyright 2013 IDG Communications.
ABN 14 001 592 650. All rights reserved.

Contact Us

With over 25 years of brand awareness and credibility, Good Gear Guide (formerly PC World Australia), consistently delivers editorial excellence through award-winning content and trusted product reviews.